BOLDFACE NAMES

By Joyce Wadler; with Melena Z. Ryzik

Published: March 11, 2004

So Fetching Us a Beer Would Be Out?

Heavy is the burden of the personal press agent. There you are, escorting the client -- in this case, BEN AFFLECK -- to the opening of his new movie, and what sort of things are the reporters shouting?

Ben, what kind of a mother do you think GWYNETH PALTROW will be?

Ben, what's next in your personal life?

Imagine the role, now, of the press agent. He must appear shocked, shocked, at this level of discourse, and step in to gently rebuke the corps.

The reporters, sensing that the prize might be wrenched away, offered up a serious-sounding query: Had Mr. Affleck reprioritized his life in the last few months?

Affirmative.

''I probably feel like career stuff has taken less center stage, less importance to me,'' said Mr. Affleck, pleasantly shlumpy in a blue shirt worn over the pants and a navy pea coat. ''And I've kind of put into perspective, like, what really matters, what kind of person I want to be. And I've not allowed the columnists to run my life.''

The story line of ''Jersey Girl'': A music business publicist, played by Mr. Affleck, loses his wife, loses his job, and moves with his young daughter to New Jersey.

Parallel lives line of ''Jersey Girl'': JENNIFER LOPEZ has a small role as his wife. After the disastrous ''Gigli,'' release of ''Jersey Girl'' was delayed. A shot in the film, in which Mr. Affleck and Ms. Lopez marry, has now also been cut. Attending the premiere of the Miramax film were LIV TYLER, who plays Mr. Affleck's new love, cast members GEORGE CARLIN and JASON BIGGS, and HARVEY WEINSTEIN.

''We're going to get ready to start in just a few minutes,'' the movie's director, KEVIN SMITH, said as Mr. Affleck joined him on stage. ''We're just waiting for J.Lo to show up.''

The after-party was at the Hard Rock Cafe on West 57th Street (which had been featured in the movie). The V.I.P. area was upstairs. The stars' tables filled up with family. (Both Mr. Affleck and Ms. Tyler had brought their moms.) Three security guards formed a wall in front of Mr. Affleck's table. Four blocked access to Ms. Tyler. Additional security blocked off both entrances to the area.

Into this cozy gathering came the short, stocky and bearded Mr. Smith. He wore long denim shorts, black and white checkered slip-on sneakers (no socks) and a blue jersey that said Jersey on it.

''Who can talk in this volume?'' he said. ''Follow me outside.''

Ms. Tyler, who wanted to introduce Mr. Smith to her family, threw a balled-up napkin at him to get his attention, but a security guard intervened. ''Move along!'' he yelled at Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith complied, but the crowd was so tight and he so pear-shaped that he had to duck down to get away. When he popped up, a waiter with a tray offered him shrimp.

''Love your work, by the way,'' the waiter said.

Outside, Mr. Smith said he had cut the Affleck-Lopez wedding shot because it would have been a distraction.

We wanted to talk about Jersey. Everyone knows who the quintessential Jersey boys are -- BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, JON BON JOVI.

But who is the quintessential Jersey girl?

Mr. Smith thought about it, then finally decided that it was his daughter, HARLEY QUINN SMITH, age 4.

He had gone out of his way, he said, to make sure she was born in New Jersey.

How so?

He and his wife, JENNIFER SCHWALBACH, were in Los Angeles and she was nine months pregnant, Mr. Smith said. No commercial airline would permit them to board.

''Her water broke, she started dilating,'' Mr. Smith said. ''So I called Harvey Weinstein and I said, 'Dude, we're stuck in L.A., we need to get back to New Jersey so Jen can have this baby.' So he sent the jet out for us, picked us up; we went back home, had the baby. So that's somebody who went out of their way -- well, she didn't -- but I went out of my way to make sure my daughter was a Jersey girl.'' with Melena Z. Ryzik